Batley's momentum takes them into a Yorkshire Cup showdown with Bradford Bulls

Bulldogs battled back from an 18-6 deficit at half-time of yesterday’s semi-final at home to Betfred Championship rivals York City Knights.

Bradford had earlier secured their place in the final of the three-week pre-season competition when a late penalty goal secured a 20-18 win over Dewsbury Rams on Saturday.

Batley’s win was their third in as many pre-season games, following six straight victories in the Championship Shield at the end of last season.

York were clinging to an 18-16 advantage with five minutes left when Reece Rushworth was sin-binned and Batley used their numerical advantage to snatch a winning try from Tyler Dickinson two minutes later. The visitors had led 18-0 through tries by Will Jubb, Graham Horne and Matty Marsh, but Alistair Leak hit back on the stroke of half-time and Campbell and Galbraith touched down early in the second period.

York will be at home to Dewsbury in a third-place play-off on Saturday.

Bulls also had to dig deep after trailing at the break. Dewsbury, under new coach Lee Greenwood, led 12-6 at the interval and levelled the scores at 18-18 after Bradford had rallied early in the second half, but Rowan Milnes’ 79th-minute kick sent the home side through.

Featherstone Rovers’ Australia coach Ryan Carr is due to arrive at the club today, two days after a makeshift team were beaten 14-10 at home by National Conference Premier Division champions Hunslet Club Parkside. Carr will take charge for the first time when Rovers play host to Halifax on Sunday. He is expected to give a run-out to Papua New Guinea internationals Thompson Teteh and brothers Ase and Watson Boas who arrived at the club on Friday.

Halifax hit back from 24-16 down at half-time to beat Hunslet 32-24 in another pre-season game. Veteran prop Richard Moore, who rejoined Hunslet in the close-season, was sin-binned, a week after being sent-off in a Yorkshire Cup defeat by Batley.